Hikari no Hashi
by akinosora01
Summary: It had been four years. Perhaps Fate will let them have a second chance, a chance found in gentle rain. Changed from Complete to Incomplete-has Tsukasa's perspective!
1. Chapter 1

Title: Hikari no Hashi

By: silentstar01

Category: Hana Yori Dango

Pairing: Rui/Tsukishi

Status: Incomplete

Chapters: 1

Author's Note:

This is another Rui/Tsukishi fic. (^.^) I am an ardent Rui/Tsukishi fan (after seeing the Japanese live-action drama), so I decided to write a fic!

Disclaimer: I do not own Hana Yori Dango or any of its affiliates.

Chapter 1

"Mou, why did it have to rain today…." Makino Tsukishi moaned as she leaned against the cool bricks of her "special" place—an emergency staircase located in a secluded area of campus. She turned to lean her back against the bricks and slid down until she was sitting on the ground. She _hated_ rainy days.

Looking up at the grey sky, she sighed loudly, this time more out of sheer boredom. Even though she was able to enter the university of her choice and the major that she had wanted, she wondered if she was missing out on anything.

Akira was off at Europe, having the time of his life in romantic Venice. Being the playboy he was, Tsukishi wouldn't be surprised if he was romancing Italian women already with a bevy of adoring women hanging off his every word—which he would thoroughly enjoy, she thought with a chuckle.

Soujiro….she only heard vague news about him. Supposedly he was on the China mainland, attending many social functions, as his mastery in tea ceremony was very much in demand. She didn't know if he and Yuuki were still communicating—her friend was very much close-mouthed about it as he was when she ran across him by chance in Tokyo.

Tsukasa and Rui….the two people she did not have any recent news of. It had been four years since she had last heard from them, and the three of them had parted ways with their own hurts and misunderstandings. But maybe…just maybe…it was better to leave it at that.

"Was it right?" she wondered aloud.

Rui had disappeared, for lack of a better term, and Tsukasa had returned to New York, presumably with his fiancée Shigeru. She had entered university and (almost literally) buried herself in her studies. She was nearing the end of her pre-law program, yet she felt that she didn't advance any further, as if she was stunted in her high-school self. She frowned at herself. Wasn't she the one who promised herself that she would resolutely look forward? And yet she was, dwelling on the past.

"What am I _doing_?" she moaned to herself, violently shaking her head. "Wake up, Tsukishi! Now's not the time to be going off into space!" Despite her valiant attempt to motivate herself, Tsukishi found herself gazing with glazed eyes at the gentle rain that pitter-pattered on the moistened earth.

She truly was curious as to what happened to Tsukasa and Rui. Not because she wanted to see them again—far from it. Seeing them again would only stir old confusions and feelings she'd prefer to bury deep within herself. But she was truly curious as to how they were doing.

What in the world were they doing, anyway?

Four years.

It had been four years since he had stepped foot in this city—this country.

_Four long years._

Funny how time seemed to lengthen once one was out of his usual environment. Life in Canada was dull compared to Tokyo, not to mention the mere distance from his best friend who was in New York. But, after about six months, he had gotten used to the silent distance between them. It was almost a relief, after the torrential drama that happened between them during high school.

He had the odd compulsion to return here, despite the hurts he had nursed while leaving this place.

Dropping his long frame onto the familiar window seat, paperback in hand, he looked out the window at the raindrops that clung to the chilled glass. Rain. He smiled humorlessly. How fitting, considering his less-than-content thoughts.

He had bumped into Soujiro in Beijing: surprisingly, the self-proclaimed playboy was with Yuuki. Despite his vehemently playful denials, he knew that Soujiro was might as well under lock and key by the quiet girl, who had been Soujiro's quiet support despite the latter's attempts to push her away. They had looked happy, and he was glad for them.

Akira he had visited before Soujiro and Yuuki. Akira was content being his playboy self with Venetian women, but promised to shape up and return to Tokyo. No matter how enamored of Europe he was, Akira still longed for Japan.

And here he was, back in the suffocating house he had called home. Interesting enough, it was minimalist in interior design, with various shades of white and barely any furniture, but the atmosphere was still suffocating—at least, to him. The house didn't seem…lived in.

Setting down the paperback he held idly in one hand, he turned his head to have his eyes fall on the single frame that stood on the nightstand next to the bed. Even from his vantage point he could see the bright eyes and smile on her face. It was taken on a bright sunny day, and they were blissful and ignorant of how things would turn out, unknowing of the gloomy present, all scattered all over the globe.

Reaching into the pocket of his beige slacks, he pulled out his phone. Even though he had switched models, he didn't change his number, just in case she had called. It was odd, even after all this time, he still had a strange affinity for her, despite her various flaws. (This was not to say that he was perfect—far from it. He was perhaps even more flawed than her.) He didn't even feel like this when it came to his first love, even though he went to Paris with her.

He knew that she didn't go with Tsukasa back in New York; he had heard that an engagement announcement concerning him and Shigeru was pending. Knowing her, he knew that she wouldn't go overseas for studying—she was always worrying over her family's financial situation to even think about studying abroad for her own interests. Which meant that she was still in Tokyo.

Would she be receptive to his presence? He wondered. Tsukishi was the warmest person he knew, and yet, he was uncertain as to if she would be comfortable around him, after these four years without any contact.

Looking once more out the window, he wondered….and drifted.

Author's Note:

Yes, I know. It's short. But I'm currently revising a dear friend's (Blood_of_Innocence) works, and taking over her projects in addition in planning mine and a children's book that I am revising to be published (hopefully in the future). But there will be more in future chapters!

I am planning for this to be a relatively short story, centered around rain.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Hikari no Hashi

By: silentstar01

Category: Hana Yori Dango

Pairing: Rui/Makino

Status: Incomplete

Chapters: 2

Author's Note:

O.O;; I didn't notice the time flying by….._Wow_. That much time?

Anyways, this is the second chapter to "Hikari no Hashi." I profusely apologize on the late update. I have deadlines (I'm a part-time journalist), and I'm currently in three writing projects on the side, as well as the busy upkeep of my personal life.

Disclaimer: I do not own Hana Yori Dango or any of its affiliates.

Chapter 2

The first time he had seen her in four years was completely by accident, but the impact of seeing her had him feeling like he had taken a punch into the gut.

It was a gloomy, rainy day, the streets sporting little puddles that attracted little children to splash their booted feet through them, with people huddled in their coats and hats as they scurried home to a warm meal and their loved ones. Even though he was _not_ pleased at being out in this chilled, depressing weather, being at home was also not an option. He had half a mind to hiring an interior decorator and instructing him to decorate the place stark red: he was that desperate for color, after staring at walls and furniture decorated in shades of white and minimal color.

Tightening his grip on the plastic handle of his umbrella, he went down the street, his eyes giving a cursory glance at the brightly-lit shop windows of the wealthy Ginza district, not really interested in buying anything. All around him strangers passed by him, seemingly molding into one black mass, sharply offsetting the light grey coat he wore. It was a nice change from the usual white he had worn before, but still lacked the spark he wanted. Even so, the difference in color had brief passes from passersby before becoming, once again, concerned with their own problems.

Behind the square-rimmed glasses—a habit he had picked up while in Canada—he surveyed the busy street, seeing no familiar faces. Perhaps he should just return home and read one of the books he had taken out of storage, from a box that had long since saw the time of day. Then his eyes chanced upon a small café that had large store windows, revealing the customers languishing on chairs of a plush burgundy color, sipping from white ceramic cups and eating small squares of cake and other pastries.

She was there.

Four years had passed and little about her had changed. While, yes, her fashion sense had improved from the constant layering, she still had not lost that innocent aura that always seemed to have hung around her in the old days. But what caught him off-guard was the curious absence of the dogged determination's spark in her eyes, that same determination that had tugged his curiosity (though it was akin to a curiosity of a new and unfamiliar thing, he had to admit).

He quickly lowered his umbrella to hide his face when he noticed her eyes sliding towards his direction, not really willing to shock her. Though he was aware of her presence in Japan, he didn't think that she was so close.

Should he go meet her? He mulled over the possibility, knowing that there could be unforeseen consequences should he meet her; with Makino, he could never predict what would—or could—happen. He should admit that his life four years ago was interesting at that time because of her.

But….

There was the possibility of the _unexpected_ that came knocking. He knew that she was an emotional person—scratch that, a _very_ emotional person—so the chance of one of her emotional outbreaks was entirely possible. However, she was also surprisingly mature during the most arbitrary of times; she had displayed that during her struggles with Tsukasa.

Deciding that there was no time like the present, he worked purposefully towards the small café, keeping himself hidden from view. He paused in front of the door to close his wet umbrella, and walked inside.

The warm smells of cinnamon and chocolate surrounded him as he stepped through the threshold of the establishment. A little bell attached to the door tinkled, announcing his entrance, which immediately prompted the cheerful voice at the counter inviting him in. He frowned slightly, noticing belatedly that this café was geared towards women: he had felt his hair brushing slightly against the top of the doorframe as he walked in. (It could be that he was taller than most people, as there were couples in the café.)

Turning his head, he fixated his eyes on the flabbergasted expression of Makino's face. She was sitting frozen in her seat, cup of steaming cappuccino in her hand, staring up at him as if she had seen a ghost.

Slowly, hesitantly, he took a few steps in her direction, his eyes never leaving her face. She looked like a deer in headlights, her eyes wide with shock; however, her eyes, too, never left his face as he slowly approached.

He came to an agonizing halt in front of her, just next to the empty chair waiting expectantly across from her, behind the small round table. She had to tilt back her head slightly to accommodate her staring at his face: she had forgotten how tall he was.

Even after the numerous encounters and four years of silence, she was still taken off-guard by how _pretty_ he was, with his angelic features behind the stylish glasses and the light shades of orange and yellow of his hair. His face shape and features were sharply defined, matching the slender frame of his body. In fact, nothing about him changed, not one thing.

She jumped a little when he spoke. "May I sit down?"

"S-sure," she stammered, lowering her eyes to her mug. She heard the slight scrape of the chair's legs against the floor as he pulled out the chair and lowered his long frame into a sitting position. She heard him murmuring his order to the waitress who approached their small table—coffee with cream and sugar, and a slice of cake—and could feel the intensity of his gaze on her.

Before he could say anything, she blurted out, "You haven't changed at all!"

He blinked. Out of all the things he had imagined her to say, this was the most unexpected. However, he wouldn't be able to apply what she had said about him to her. To him, Makino had definitely changed.

She looked up at him when the silence between them had stretched, and was strangely unsurprised to see him looking at her. Rather than talking he was more inclined to observe: that's why he was often the silent force of the F4. The heir to one of the two largest trading companies in the world, and with many political connections, Hanazawa Rui, who had disappeared to Canada to study in order to succeed the family business, was sitting in a small café in Tokyo in front of her with the rain gently coating the windows in slender rivulets.

She jumped when he spoke. "You, however, changed, Makino."

The familiar sound of him speaking her name had her shoulders visibly relaxing. Then, with eyebrows furrowed, "I've….changed?"

He watched her carefully. "…..Mm."

She thought about it. Her….different? It was kind of hard to believe. But…. people do change, after a long time like four years. Well, maybe not all.

"Well, it _has_ been four years…." she mumbled.

"So it is," he agreed. He stirred the steaming coffee placed in front of him, distracting her from her own thoughts.

There was….if not comfortable, then a friendly silence between them as they focused on their respective cups of liquid warmth, letting the flow of other conversations swirl around them.

They sat there in that unnamed café, letting the gentle rain pitter-patter on the glass window, comforted by the warm smells of coffee and a sense of _togetherness_ between each other.

Author's Note:

This was actually sitting on my hard drive. . I can't believe I didn't see that I had finished this short chapter and then _forgot_ about it for, like, a _year_. Anyways, I have gotten back to it.

As I'm sure you all know, I am a very picky writer. "Hazed Passions" is still under revision, I'm still haggling the details. So don't worry, a chapter's going to pop up one of these days……

The next chapter should be up soon. I'm in a Rui/Tsukushi mode right now. ^.^

Toodles~


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Hikari no Hashi

By: silentstar01

Category: Hana Yori Dango

Pairing: Rui/Tsukushi

Status: Incomplete

Chapters: 3

Author's Note:

…..Aaaaaaaand I'm back. I apologize profusely for the long absence. There were a number of factors to my sudden absence—there was work (I graduated in the time I was gone, and have changed occupations), of course, but I also had eye problems, my body decided that it would wreak havoc on me for a few months, and a few fandoms distracted me. But I'm back, and I'm determined to finish "Hikari no Hashi" so I can move onto different projects.

The next chapter of "Hikari no Hashi" will be the end, most likely an epilogue. While I wish that it could be longer, I don't have the inspiration of stretching the fic much longer and I've discovered in my hiatus that I'm much more suited to drabbles and one-shots (and the occasional two- and three-shots).

Disclaimer: I do not own Hana Yori Dango.

Chapter 3

"You know," Tsukushi mused to him over cups of hot vending machine coffee, "You're like a cat."

Rui raised his brows at her, but she was too engrossed in the steam to pay attention to his reaction. "A cat, you say?" he answered, wondering at her logic. They had been talking about chess just moments before—she had argued how the king was the most important piece, and he had disagreed, defending the queen, before she was quiet and stared into space.

"Uh-huh. You're always napping when you're not reading a book, you always look tired, and I don't know what you're thinking."

In the space of little over a year, Rui had sought out Tsukushi's company, much to the latter's confusion. They drank coffee together, went to museums and plays together, walked in numerous parks, had lunch (and the occasional dinner) together in more restaurants Tsukushi could count. And in that time he could see the spark he was attracted to gradually returning in Tsukushi's eyes. Whether it was because of him or not, Rui liked to think that it was.

Rui never questioned the motives behind seeking her out. He himself knew that it wasn't because of lack of companionship that lured him to spend time her with, or that he still found her a novelty (because she still is). No, there was another motive to spending time with her.

_They were dating_.

If he suggested this to Makino, he knew that she would explode at him with a flustered anger that never failed to amuse him. To continue being this comfortable with her he didn't say anything. And to his delight, he and Makino over the last year became closer than what they had been all those years ago.

But the question still remained: what did Makino think of him?

Makino, for all of her open expressions, was hard to read. Sometimes it felt like she only regarded him as a friend, other times…a stammer, a tell-tale blush, and Rui couldn't help but hope that she could feel something for him that was more than just a close friendship. Of course, he kept his thoughts to himself, and just observed.

As if noticing his gaze, she turned her head and fixated her direct gaze on him. "What?"

He hid a smile behind his cup. "Nothing."

She scowled at him. "You think I'm funny, don't you." As if to scold him, she poked his side.

"No, not at all." The twist of his smirk told her otherwise. "I was just wondering at your thought processes."

"Hm." She eyed him suspiciously. Something about the distant look in his eyes alerted her. He definitely was thinking about something else. "…What about your work? Do you really have the time to have coffee with me right now?"

He gave her an elegant shrug. "I'm done for the day. There weren't a lot of business to attend to." He managed his family's business in place of his father, who had retired a few years ago, leaving Rui to take up the reins. Fortunately, Rui picked up things a lot faster than expected, and the company was thriving (once, she told him that she was amazed that the company was doing as well as it was, with him at the head).

"Speaking of business…" Rui reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a white envelope embossed with his company's logo. "I was wondering if you had time later this month."

"For what?" she asked, putting down her cup and accepting the envelope.

"The company hosts a couples' party once a year for its partners and employees, and everyone involved has to attend."

Frowning, she opened the invitation. "But it's for couples. Shouldn't you go with your girlfriend?"

He looked at her oddly. "Girlfriend? I don't have one."

"You don't?" she asked, confused.

"No."

"Oh." Suddenly embarrassed, she looked down at the elegant script detailing the date and time of the event. It wasn't the first time she felt embarrassed in front of Hanazawa Rui, but it was certainly the first in a long time to be embarrassed in this situation. "But…it's a couples' event."

"Yes, it is."

"If I…go as your partner, wouldn't people assume…" she trailed off, making a sudden hand movement. "That…"

Suddenly, Rui was aware of the potential danger of this situation. If he didn't take this opportunity, then there would be no guarantee that he wouldn't have another chance to declare what Makino Tsukushi meant to him. But, if he did…was there any certainty that she would accept…?

"I'm not asking out of courtesy," he said somewhat stiffly. When Makino continued to stare at him uncomprehendingly, he cleared his throat in uncharacteristic awkwardness, and said with his face turned away from her, "I'm asking you because I want you to come with me."

The sounds of the wind riffling the leaves and the distant murmur of conversation filled the silence between them. Rui didn't know what kind of expression Makino was wearing at that moment, but he could imagine that she would be stone-still with eyes round and cheeks pale, followed up a stutter and a furious blush. Even so, he held his breath, waiting for her to reply.

Only until the sharp yapping of a distant Chihuahua did Rui's words sink into Tsukushi's brain.

_"…because I want you to come with me…"_

"Um," she stuttered, "okay."

His head whipped around, and he stared at her. Now she was the one not looking at him, her eyes firmly trained on the invitation she held in her hands.

"Okay," he echoed, and when she lifted her head up to look at him, he offered a slight smile, one of considerable relief. His smile was contagious: she smiled a little in return, and no further words were exchanged.

::shrugs:: Decided not to write the event of the party—I'll leave that to readers' imaginations. Epilogue currently in the works!


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Hikari no Hashi

By: silentstar01

Category: Hana Yori Dango

Pairing: Rui/Tsukushi

Status: Complete

Chapters: 4

Author's Note:

And this is the end. ^.^ And, oh my dear, am I out of touch with HYD characters. O.O The Rui I depicted in this fic is veeeery different (my honest opinion) from the Rui of the live-action series! I tried combining aspects of his personality from what he's supposed to be like in the manga, as someone who has Asperger's, and from the live-action.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Hana Yori Dango franchise!

Chapter 4: Epilogue

Akira just stared, his cup of tea spilling onto his pants. He paid no attention, and continued to stare. "What. Did. You. Say?"

Rui calmly offered him a napkin, watching with faint amusement as Akira absentmindedly dabbed at the wrong place. "I'm getting married," he said as if his announcement was of little consequence. "In three months."

While Akira sputtered, Soujiro settled his cup on his saucer. "Well, you always had a penchant for surprising us, Rui." He raised his eyebrows. "Who's the lucky girl?"

"Makino."

Now Akira and Soujiro both stared. "Makino?" Akira asked blankly. "Makino?! Since when have you been dating Makino?!"

Rui looked at the other two with a bemused expression. "You want the exact date?"

"If you do know, I'd like to, but that's beside the point," Akira sputtered. "How did you meet Makino, and how did you get to date her?"

A side of Rui's mouth lifted in a smirk. "Do you want to know about all about my romantic life?"

Akira made a face. "On second thought, maybe not." He looked at Rui speculatively. "You know, I never really understood."

"Understood what?" Soujiro asked.

"Rui and Tsukasa," Akira said. "About Makino, anyway. We've been friends for so long, did it really make sense to break up a friendship over a girl?"

"But they didn't," Soujiro protested. "In the end, they still remain friends, and you know it, Akira."

"Yeah, I know, but what about once Tsukasa finds out? And he will find out, because the marriage of Hanazawa Rui wouldn't be ignored by the media."

"You're right," Soujiro murmured in agreement. "Tsukasa has always been sensitive when it came to Makino."

"Perhaps," Rui said, setting down his teacup and uncrossing his legs to stand up. "But Tsukasa's not here." Adjusting his jacket, he looked at the two other F4 members. "I'll be sending you invitations soon."

"Do. I'll come to your wedding," Soujiro said.

Rui raised an eyebrow at Akira. "Akira?"

"Of course I would come," Akira replied, and Rui offered a small smile in thanks before leaving.

)))))))))

Rui found Tsukushi at her desk, binders and books open askew on over inch of the desk's surface, muttering to herself and tapping the temple of her forehead with a pen. Three empty mugs of coffee sat precariously near the table edge, and a pair of high heels was kicked off and lay abandoned near the desk.

"Don't talk to me unless you have—oh, hello," Tsukushi said, the pinched look briefly relaxing. "You wouldn't have a cup of strong coffee, would you?"

He held up a thermos of piping hot coffee. "I figured you would need it, from the way you sounded over the phone."

"Thanks." She gratefully took the thermos and sipped the coffee slowly, sighing with obvious happiness. She waved her hand over the pile of folders and open pamphlets scattered all over her desk. "I'm working."

"I can see that." He gave a cursory look over the papers, and then looked at them again. Interspersed amongst court records, details of evidence, and witness accounts were catering menus, scribbled notes of wedding plans (in the handwriting of who he assumed was their wedding planner), and brochures of prime honeymoon destinations.

He eyed her suspiciously. "Makino," he said slowly, briefly reverting back to the name he called her before they dated, "how many cups of coffee did you drink?"

She glared at her empty mugs. "I don't know. I ran out of coffee grounds," she said in a reasonable voice, "so I don't have any more. That's not a problem, right?"

Rui personally knew that Tsukushi always had a whole gallon's worth of coffee grounds on hand, and would frequently shop for coffee even more her coffee container was half-empty. He sighed, and forcibly took the thermos from her. When Tsukushi made to protest, he quickly rounded the desk to help her to her feet, lead her to the couch, and made her lie down with a throw covering her body.

"Rui?"

"You need to sleep," he said firmly. He shook his head as she opened her mouth, and, _for once_, she didn't try to fight him, and closed her eyes, but not before putting in the last word.

"I didn't even have that much coffee," she grumbled, a yawn catching the end of her words as she dropped off to sleep.

When he was certain that Tsukushi was asleep, Rui organized the documents at her desk, contemplating some of the plans she had obviously went over with the wedding planner, putting in some of his thoughts next to Tsukushi's scribble with precise narrow lettering.

Just as he closed the last file folder, Rui blinked against the stream of sunlight hitting the white paper, and turned his chair until he was facing the window.

It was shining. The sun was blinding, shrouding everything with its brilliant light until even shadows seemed to escape, leaving nothing but brightness.

Rui smiled.

))))))))

Perhaps too abrupt of an ending?

I wanted the ending to be mostly Rui-centric, because we really don't get his perspective in the drama—I have no idea when it comes to the manga, as I haven't _really_ read it (that is, I mostly flipped through the volumes just to see how the live-action drama differed from the original plotline.) Because Rui's storyline was just tragic in the live-action drama—Oguri Shun recreated Hanazawa Rui and made it his own, I swear—I wanted him to have a concrete happy ending.

I'm not sure that this is the end. Spin-offs of this storyline are certainly possible. Does anyone want to see another perspective of this, from a different character? If so, please include in your reviews! I'll seriously consider what you suggest.

As always, I'd love to read your reviews! For reviewers I haven't responded you, always know that I keep your reviews close at heart, and take what you think about my writing very seriously.


	5. Chapter 5

Title: Hikari no Hashi: Aftermath

By: akinosora01

Category: Hana Yori Dango

Status: Incomplete  
Chapters: 5

Author's Note:

So, when I said that "Hikari no Hashi" was finished, I wasn't lying…really. Until this popped up, that is. ^.^ Two- (maybe three-)shot side fic.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Hana Yori Dango franchise.

It was late in the evening in New York, almost ten o'clock, when the phone call came in.

"Mr. Domyouji, a phone call from Japan," his secretary buzzed in.

"Connect it," he said absently, his eyes glued to a report that was submitted earlier that day. He picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"It's me."

Tsukusa looked up, surprise written on his face. "Soujiro?"

"Yeah. How have you been doing?"

"Not bad. It's been getting busier, though," Tsukasa answered, leaning back in his chair and swiveling to glance out at the New York skyline. "How about you?"

"Nothing much." They discussed pleasantries until Tsukasa, sensing that this was not just a courtesy call, asked bluntly, "So, why'd you call?"

"Nothing gets past you, Tsukasa," Soujiro sighed. He was quiet, and Tsukasa was about to ask him not to beat around the bush when he said abruptly, "Rui's getting married."

"Rui? Married?" Tsukasa asked blankly before laughing aloud. "Rui?"

"Yeah. Funny, isn't it?"

"Yeah—I thought that Rui'd never get caught, not after Shizuka."

"Hm." Soujiro stayed quiet, leaving Tsukasa a chance to calm down, before saying, "You know the bride."

"Really? Whose daughter is she?" Tsukasa thought for a moment. "Is it the Uchigawa family? Or the Yamayuki? I remember that one of the daughters were our age…"

"No." Tsukasa could hear the distinct discomfort in Soujiro's voice, and was immediately alert—something was off, Soujiro wasn't telling him something, and in the back of his mind _something important_ _was nagging him_, and he couldn't figure it out. "You know her…quite well."

"Soujiro," Tsukasa threatened with a scowl. "Who. Is. Rui. Marrying."

"Makino."


	6. Chapter 6

Title: Hikari no Hashi: Aftermath

By: akinosora01

Category: Hana Yori Dango

Status: Incomplete  
Chapters: 6

Author's Note:

And the second part to this itty-bitty fic. More Tsukasa angst? I changed it from a separate fic to add it onto Hikari no Hashi, as it's in the same universe.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Hana Yori Dango franchise.

Tsukasa's arm dropped lifelessly to his side, the phone receiver in his hand still buzzing Soujiro's concerned voice, asking him if he was all right.

_ Makino._

He had to admit, truthfully, that the one he swore to love all his life didn't appear in his thoughts like she did years prior, when the memories of their separation were still raw and it took everything of him to keep up with everything that was going on—his move to New York, his introduction to the business world, his engagement to Shigeru…and only thoughts of Makino could calm him, whispering promises of a future happiness once the business deal he was brokering went through…

Before he knew it, more and more work piled onto him, and he couldn't steal enough time to go back to Japan and make things right with Makino. And somewhere along the way he'd gotten married to Shigeru, making it even more impossible to go back.

Oh, there were times, times when his mind wasn't that lucid and had a tendency to wander into the impossible, when he fantasized that he could bring Makino to New York, set her up with a nice apartment with reliable security, and continue their relationship under wraps. She would do it, for him, he thought, because she loved him. And just as quickly, he realized that it would never work; Makino would've never accepted such a situation, because while she may have loved Tsukasa, she also loved Shigeru as a dear friend.

But Rui? Of all the men—instead of all young, available, _uncomplicated_ men—in the world, why did it have to be Rui? Why did it have to be his best friend?

Aaaaaand that's the final for Hikari no Hashi (for now). I loved writing it, and there's room for more—maybe different perspectives from other characters—we haven't heard from Yuuki yet.


End file.
